I often meet with other entrepreneurs who seem exhausted and run down from running their business. Yet, they are struggling to make their business survive. Does that sound like you? So how is it that they are working so hard to build their business but yet not achieving their goals? In order to keep their business alive, they are caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it-do it, sell it-do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated and unable to get ahead no matter how many countless hours they put into their business.

Amanda Altman: owns A3 Design (est. 2003) and Molding Mates (est. 2011) with her husband, Alan. Amanda is passionate about the award-winning branding services A3 Design offers their diverse clientele. She and Alan successfully brought their new product, Molding Mates, to market in six months. She is also an active member of the Eastman Young Professionals and participates in educating many of the business-focused organizations in Rochester on entrepreneurial marketing.

Michelle Ames: is the owner and marketing diva at Marketed by Michelle. Her primary goal is to reach success by helping her clients achieve their highest success. Michelle has over 20 years of experience working in higher education; for-profit and not-for-profit marketing and fundraising; and teaching. She divides her time between her business; the Hilton Central School District Board of Education; and other not-for-profit organizations. Michelle holds a BA degree from Roberts Wesleyan College and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. She is a frequent presenter for Rochester Business Alliance. Follow Michelle on Twitter @mktbymichelle.

Marietta G. Avery: is general manager of WDKX-FM (103.9), has a successful broadcasting career spanning over 30 years. She previously held the positions of vice president of finance and as a top radio sales producer. As a sales leader and advertising expert, she's delivered high-impact sales-closing strategies, converting them into financial windfalls. She has used her abilities on numerous occasions as a workshop facilitator and keynote speaker for conferences, executive training and special events.

Kevin Carr is a freelance blogger, business student, and award winning writer. For over ten years he has worked with small businesses in management, consulting, and project development capacities. Currently, he writes for (585) Magazine, High Tech Rochester, and the Teen Health & Success Partnership, all while studying entrepreneurship and English at the University of Rochester. A California native turned Rochester enthusiast, Kevin is happiest when he can merge his two passions: creative writing and small business. Find him online at his personal blog, TheNumberKevin.com or on Twitter @kevindanielblog. Come say hi.

Scott Catlin: is the Associate Vice President for Innovation and Technology Commercialization in the Office of Technology Transfer. His professional passions are in leadership, strategy and technology development, with a commitment to moving research into commercial use for the greater good. Prior to joining the University of Rochester, Catlin provided legal and management guidance at Abbott Medical Optics for sales, regulatory, research & development, clinical, intellectual property, litigation and compliance matters. As an executive leader, he drove strategic decisions and supported R&D and marketing project teams. He has worked in and with startup companies, and is a former management consultant and Air Force JAG.

Carmen Coleman: is the President and CEO of Lifetime Financial Group, Inc. Ms. Coleman’s currently specializes in Medicare, Affordable Care, Insurance and Financial Planning. She offers seminars to groups on financial planning and insurance issues.

Currently she serves as an Officer of the Board of Directors of the Rochester Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America; Founder and Board of Director of the Black Business Directory, Inc.; Board Member of the Hispanic Community Center for Senior’s; Board Member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Monroe County; and she volunteers for the Advent House Hospice in Fairport, NY.

Ms. Coleman has over 25 years of business experience in the field of engineering, finance, and management. Enjoys bike riding and gardening.

Stephen Dewhurst: is the chair of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he directs a research lab that studies HIV. He also directs URMC's new Stem Cell GMP (bio-manufacturing) Facility and is president of a biotech startup company, Codevax. Dewhurst has a strong commitment to student mentoring and diversity in the biomedical workforce, as well as to the Rochester community, having lived here for more than two decades.

Lisa Doerner: is the executive director of Digital Rochester. Her focus is on connecting individuals and companies in our region to meet DR’s mission to strengthen and grow the region’s technology community. She coordinates the efforts of DR’s volunteer board to deliver educational events within six special interest groups: digital marketing, sales and business development, women in technology, CEOs, IT leaders and entrepreneurs. Follow DR on Twitter: @Digital_Roch.

Sitima Fowler: is the CEO of CAPSTONE Information Technologies, founder of RochesterRockstars.com and co-author of Computers Should Just Work! Fowler shares of advice about growing a company despite tough economic times, among other things.

Vicki M. James: Founder and growth accountability partner at Stand Out Results assists small businesses by helping them create a marketing foundation for their company through branding, marketing strategy, marketing planning and marketing implementation.

Susan Kavanagh: is an account manager with BIA, has over 15 years of experience in the legal services and legal technology industry and is a subject matter expert in EDiscovery and litigation support. She is also an adjunct faculty member of two local community colleges in their ABA Approved Paralegal Programs. Follow Susan on Twitter @susan_kavanagh.

Michael Krause is the president and founder of Sales Sense Payments Inc., a national credit card processor based in Rochester, NY. Sales Sense Payments believes in simplicity, honesty, value and keeping merchants’ credit card processing fees as low as possible. Krause also wrote SMART Prospecting That Works Every Time! (McGraw Hill) and Sell or Sink: Strategies, Tactics and Tools Every Business Leader Must Know to Stay Afloat!

Ana Liss: is a business development associate at Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), where she oversees the Regional Economic Gardening Program for business retention and expansion; performs regional outreach by offering businesses and institutions access to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority incentives; and plays a lead role in all economic and labor force research activities. Ana also manages GRE’s social media presence and is active in several civic and networking groups. Ana loves her job because she’s passionate about promoting economic prosperity in her native region.

Eric Loyd: is the founder and CEO of SmartVox. Passionate about Rochester's small business community, he is a graduate of the TEN program, a two-time GREAT Awards finalist, a local and national speaker, mentor for Digital Rochester, and privileged to be part of High Tech Rochester’s technology incubator. Follow on Twitter at @EricLoyd, @Bitnetix, or @SmartVox.

Angella Luyk: is CEO of Midnight Janitorial Inc., was the recipient of the 2009 (National) American Business and 2008 Rochester Business ethics awards. She has grown her business in six years from startup to a million dollar business. In her first book, Wisdom in a Traffic Jam, she reveals all the secrets no one tells you about owning an amazingly successful business. Angella writes the way she speaks, with a fun, energetic, easy to understand style.

Luis Martínez: has been a trusted coach and business adviser for many years. His strategic management consulting firm, Gran Altura Inc., offers his leadership development experience to organizations and executives. Luis directed the global human resources department for worldwide manufacturing at Xerox, was senior vice president of human resources at Lehigh Valley Hospital, and served as vice president and general manager of Exide Batteries in Puerto Rico. Born and raised in Cuba, Luis has authored two books, Getting There and Getting There Volume 2.

Duncan Moore: is the vice provost for entrepreneurship, the Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Professor of Optical Engineering, and professor at the Simon Graduate School of Business, all at the University of Rochester. From 1997 to 2000, he served as the associate director for technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Bill Clinton. He is also the founder and former president of Gradient Lens Corporation in Rochester.

Rich Notargiacomo: works at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he teaches at the Saunders College of Business and works with entrepreneurs and their startup companies at the Venture Creations incubator. With many years of experience in product development and innovation, he moved into working with entrepreneurs and startups about 10 years ago. When Rich is "off the clock" he can often be found enjoying wine or jazz - frequently at the same time.

Andrew Scheinman: is a Rochester-area patent attorney specializing in high technology startup companies. He has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, worked in gene therapy, got a law degree and licensure as a patent attorney and, more to the point, lived in Central Illinois, San Diego, Seattle, Raleigh and Chicago before picking Rochester for its vibrant technology community. Andrew's website is www.scheinmanlaw.com.

Amit Trivedi: brings several years of experience working at Xerox Corp. on research, engineering and production projects. He has been equally involved with non-profits and is one of the founding members of the local non-profit startup NextGen Rochester. Being from a family of successful entrepreneurs, he has dabbled in entrepreneurship too. He earned his MS in Engineering and Global Operations Management (EGOM) and BS in Electrical Engineering, both from Clarkson University. He takes interest in the development and evolution of business models, cross-cultural learning and innovation.

Jan Pisanczyn: is the regional director of the New York State Small Business Development Center at the College at Brockport. He has served as an expert on business topics, worked with more than 1,500 business clients to help create or protect more than 900 total jobs, in addition to being a former small business owner himself.

James Winebrake: is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Under his guidance, the college provides education in the social sciences, humanities, and performing arts to all of RIT’s 17,000 students. Jamie currently conducts research in the energy, environmental, and policy fields. He holds a PhD in energy management and policy from the University of Pennsylvania, a M.S. in technology and policy from M.I.T,. and a B.S. in physics from Lafayette College.

Alex Zapesochny: is co-founder and president of iCardiac Technologies, which has commercialized research from the University of Rochester and from Pfizer for better assessing the potential cardiac side effects of new drugs. Previously he was part of the executive management team at Lenel Systems, a leading security software company that was acquired by United Technologies. He has also served as an attorney, board member and advisor to various startups and innovative social enterprises.

José Villa moved to Rochester recently after living in Hawaii for 27 years. A former Air Force officer, he now works full-time as freelance writer specializing in: nonprofit grants; business plans; 8(a) and M/WBE applications. His minority small business advocacy efforts earned him the: SBA Hawaii "2013 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year"; SBA Region IX (Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada) "2013 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year"; and 2013 State of Hawaii Toastmasters' Communication & Leadership Award.